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Motivation is the desire and energy that guides thinking and behavior. When students are motivated, they become more engaged in their learning, more likely to persist and problem-solve in the face of challenges, and more likely to reason deeply. Students need to be challenged just enough to stay engaged and motivated: they will often lose Motivation when a task is too easy, but also when it is so difficult that they feel it cannot be completed. With development, Motivation becomes increasingly multidimensional, breaking down into many aspects including social and academic goals, expectations of success, and mastery, a desire to learn skills for the sake of competence. Importantly, in adolescence learners' sources of Motivation become more social, with relevance, respect, and autonomy becoming increasingly more important in their social and academic worlds and behaviors.
Motivation is a complex concept that varies by person and context. It can be thought of as a product of a learner's expectations for success and their value of the task, each of which can shift over time. One important distinction is between intrinsic Motivation, the desire to learn and accomplish goals because they are inherently satisfying and personally rewarding, and extrinsic Motivation, the desire to learn and accomplish goals because of external rewards/recognition or to avoid a negative consequence. External rewards can actually reduce a students' intrinsic Motivation to learn in some cases, for instance when the external reward is more salient than the internal reason for engaging. However, some forms of rewards can also be motivating. For instance, praising the process of the task, such as students' effort and strategies (process praise) can increase intrinsic Motivation, potentially by fostering a resilient Learner Mindset, focusing students on specific aspects of the work that they can control and improve. It is common for students to be driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. For example, a student may not be intrinsically interested in a specific assignment but may also be motivated to do well for a related long-term goal, like getting good grades. Research has demonstrated extrinsic Motivation can reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD, including aspects of Attention and Short-term Memory. In addition, students with ADHD and learning disabilities may need additional support to maintain Motivation in different contexts, which can in turn support their executive functioning.
Some important concepts that impact Motivation include:
Academic Motivation can decline in adolescence, especially when schools do not effectively meet adolescents' changing needs. When adolescents' increasing need for autonomy, peer relatedness, and mastery are accommodated, and when learners receive appropriate supports, this can help learners maintain their Motivation to succeed. The celebration and acknowledgement of culture and Identity can also play an important role in the processes of academic Motivation. Educators should be aware of the importance of providing environments that are responsive, connect learning to backgrounds and interests, and work towards creating an atmosphere of trust, to support students in fully engaging and having agency in their learning. In addition, environments that allow adolescents to take on meaningful challenges provide them opportunity to matter and be seen as important to others.
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